Two-Faced Blue
by SimplyBel
Summary: A brother thinks back to a rescue that triggered memories and guilt; he seems lost and angry at himself. The one thing he goes to for comfort turns out to be the source of his pain.


**This is just something that came to me and wouldn't leave until I wrote it down. Hope you enjoy xx**

** Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my own characters **

* * *

Two-faced Blue

He never understood how people could get seasick. For him, the movement of water was relaxing; having their waves control his body as he floated on the surface, determining which way he drifted, the ripples lapping against his arms and legs as he closed his eyes and the relief that the cool water provided after a day in the sun or a long, dangerous rescue.  
Above all, Gordon Tracy found peace in water. He was able to think and reflect whilst silently floating or gliding along the bottom of the pool. It also gave him the chance to let out all his angry, worrisome or regretful feelings if he swam; each stroke hitting the water with force and power.  
Each of them had their own ways to deal with those feelings, but the redheaded sibling couldn't understand how staring at stars helped. He'd never had that long of an attention span compared to John. Nor could he see how Virgil could be calm enough to write music after a distressing call; Gordon knew that he had no musical bone in his body compared to his older next older brother. As for Alan and Scott? Well, the second youngest Tracy could not even begin to understand how running and getting hot and uncomfortable helped them to relax or think. Sure, John and Virgil's methods were at least peaceful even if Gordon couldn't do them himself. He never could get his head round the logic of doing such a demanding sport in the type of weather they received on their island.  
Swimming was different though. It could be slow and calm but also strong and meaningful without the sweat of running. Swimming was different...

Gordon suddenly opened his eyes and found himself floating on his back in the pool. He stood and swam over to the edge where he hoisted himself up and sat with his legs in the dark blue water. He'd been thinking about their last rescue and hadn't been able to sleep so he found himself automatically changing into his swimming shorts and sneaking out to the pool. He let the moon light the water so he hadn't bothered to switch on the pool lights in case of awaking his dad or one of his brothers and having them remind him that he should be resting and not exercising. The conversation would then turn into an argument when the redhead would point out that he feels rested and relaxed in the pool instead of his bed. It always went something like that; no one understood. He knew he should be asleep and getting as much rest as he could after a rescue of that magnitude, then concentrate on swimming the next couple of days. But his mind was fit to burst with all of the thoughts in it that he felt sleep was impossible.

* * *

It had been an avalanche mission. That simple fact had brought back awful memories for the Tracy family even before they had suited up and boarded their 'birds. They had all been surprised how their father acted as if it were any normal rescue mission, giving them clear orders, with the main priority being the lives of the victims and not the emotional attachment to the natural disaster that they were dealing with. Luckily it hadn't been too difficult a rescue but it was the victims they had rescued and the memories triggered that pushed the second youngest Tracy to his place of comfort. The pool.  
There had been a cabin on the ski slopes in the Swiss Alps. The resort had had barely any warning before the avalanche alarm was ringing and people were evacuated to a safe distance. Thankfully it had only been a small magnitude vibration that had caused the snow to fall, but it had been enough to cover a large area of cabins. All of these bar one had been empty due to the owners' skiing activities that day.  
Two adults, a male and a female had been pulled out of the snow before the arrival of the Thunderbirds. They had been on their way back to their cabin to retrieve something important when the avalanche struck and buried them. They had survived and were taken off to a nearby building down the slope to where the other tourists were being held; much to their hatred of leaving their precious items. The Tracys themselves had no clue what these items would then turn out to be.  
They had then set about scanning the area of cabins for life signs and found that only one held any. It was unfortunately near the top of the slope so the entire cabin wash covered in a layer of pure white snow, untouched and pristine. They knew from that digging into the snow with the Mole would only cause more vibrations and tremors so they would have to access the cabin via the roof rather than by the side.  
The roof itself had taken a lot of digging to get through the thick blanket of snow and ice, but once they saw the roof with its wooden tiles and nails, they began to kick down hard on it. It had fallen in easily due to the pressure of the snow and created a small single hole large enough for someone to fit through.

Gordon had volunteered and had lowered himself down into the cabin. He had taken in his surroundings as soon as he landed. All the windows had been blacked out by the snow and the only light had come through the hole in the roof where his brothers had been. The cabin looked to be made up of one large living area; a kitchen, a lounge and a dining table. There had been three doors off to Gordon's left which he found out to be two bedrooms and a bathroom.

As he had explored the cabin further, he saw a figure curled up asleep on one of the sofas. A girl that had looked no more than seven or eight. She had had long brown hair that hid her face as she slept and around her wrist she had had colourful bracelets of beads and shapes that she had obviously made herself and wore proudly. She had a blanket thrown over her for warmth and she had hugged it tight whilst she slept. Gordon crouched in front of her and shook her shoulder gently. She awoke and pushed the hair from her face; Gordon saw her grey-blue eyes staring up at him. Before she could have reacted badly to a stranger in the dark he explained to her about the avalanche and that he was here to help her. "What's your name?" he had asked.

"Sophie. What's yours?" She was confident and Gordon smiled.

"You can call me Cooper," he said giving his middle name, "now let's get you out of here." She nodded and Gordon scooped her up in his arms. All of a sudden the windows had given in to the pressure of the snow and smashed, sending snow ploughing through the cabin. Sophie just clung tighter to Gordon as he made his way back over to the hole in the roof and looked up to see worried faces.

"Is she-" Virgil began.

"She's fine Virg. Just a bit tired is all." Gordon replied, passing up the girl to his older brothers. "I'll be right behind you" he reassured. But his words had the opposite effect, they triggered something in Sophie that made her shout out.

"NO! You can't!" and she had begun to cry as Virgil carried her off and away from the covered cabin with a hole in its roof. She yelled and screamed and pointed down the hole, behind Gordon. The redhead had spun around to see what could have been distressing her.

"Gordon! Get out of there now! It's going to collapse!" Scott ordered, reaching down a hand to his brother. But Gordon saw the blanket on the floor by the sofas and ran over.

"Gordon! What are you-", Scott had been cut off by a blanket to the face as his brother reappeared laughing.

"Just give that to Sophie and get me out of here." Gordon had reached up and taken his brother's hand which grabbed his own firmly and braced himself to be lifted. But he had heard a noise, like a whimper from behind him and he tried to let go of Scott.

"Gordon, what now!?" Scott yelled as another window smashed causing more snow to fill up the living area. But Gordon heard the sound again and tried to pull his hand from his brother's grasp. "Gordon! NO!"

"Scott! Let go of me NOW!" Gordon yelled, finally tugging his hand free and running back into the living space.

"GORDON!"

* * *

The second youngest Tracy raced through the cabin, checking under to sofa and the table, in the bathroom and one of the bedrooms. When he entered the final bedroom he had heard it again. He had begun to upturn the bed, looked under it and its sheets until the roof above him let in snow and he had realised that he was running out of time. At the sound of snow falling in the room, the whimper started up again and Gordon and flung open the wardrobe and tore all the clothes out.

He had found the source to be a boy, about three years of age crying at the back of the wardrobe. His brown hair like Sophie's suggested they were siblings and the boy had similar bracelets round his wrists. Gordon had heard more snow fall at that point and wasted no time in scooping the child up like he had done his sister and ran out of the room. In the living area, Gordon had noticed that even more snow had fallen, the sofas had been covered right where Sophie had been lying and the dining table was in a similar state.

Gordon jumped in shock as something suddenly gripped his upper arm forcefully and pushed him towards the beams of light on the floor where the hole on the roof was above. The redhead turned around to see Scott. "What are you doing here!?"

"What do you think! You just disappeared for no reasons and-" Scott had stopped when he saw what Gordon was carrying. "Let's just get out of here, the cabin is coming down fast."

Scott was pulled up first by John and then reached down for Gordon to pass the boy who hadn't stopped crying. Like his sister, he was whisked away from the cabin by Virgil to a safe distance where he could be checked over. Scott had reached his hand down again and Gordon had reached up to grab it just as the cabin gave in.

* * *

The final windows had shattered and the roof over the living area had crumpled pouring snow and ice down upon Gordon. The fourth Tracy had fallen to his knees from the pressure, arm still stretched upwards for someone to grab. Scott had yelled for John to take Alan away as the youngest blonde screamed for Gordon and struggled against John's restraints. The redhead himself had been terrified. He had become cold, covered up to below his shoulders in snow; still in the cabin.

Scott had had to move away from the falling roof in order not to fall himself but reached as far as he could downwards to grasp his brother's hand. "Gordon! I won't let anything happen to you I promise!" Then with all his strength the eldest Tracy brother pulled his sibling up and out of cabin. The sudden release of Gordon's body from the snow made Scott fall backwards, dragging his brother out through the roof with him. They had lay in the snow in a heap for a couple of seconds before Scott instantly hugged his brother and asked him if he was okay. The mother-henning had then begun and Gordon had wanted nothing more than to get home and leave the slopes. They had pulled each other off the ground and watched as the cabin sunk further into the snow and collapsed in on itself.

They had been brought to their senses again by a yell of joy. "CHRISTIAN! You're okay! You're alive!" It had been Sophie, running over to her brother and pushing Virgil out of the way to hug him.

* * *

It had turned out that the couple stranded in the snow when the avalanche struck were the parents of Sophie and her brother Christian. The reunion had been something special to watch and of course the Tracys had been thanked time and time again by the adults. As they had made their way back to the 'birds, Gordon had felt a tug on his uniform. He had turned around to see Sophie there and he crouched down to her level. She had jumped forwards and hugged him tightly, almost knocking him off balance. "Thank you for saving my baby brother, Cooper. I want to give you somethin" She had whispered in his ear and she gave him a childish kiss on the cheek.

Gordon had smiled at the small girl and returned the hug. Just as he had stood up, Sophie called him again. "Cooper! I want to give you something else!" He had looked down on her as she pulled off one of her bracelets, "here! I made it myself!" She had placed it around his wrist and giggled as she had run back to her parents. Gordon felt a hand slap down on his shoulder and saw Scott behind him, nodding and smiling at his brother. They had made their way back to the island in silence, each of the brothers thinking and reminiscing memories.

* * *

Gordon looked down at the blue pool, his legs disappearing into its depths. He glared at the twofaced blue in front of him. How could something so important to him, something that was the source of his peace change state to something that was the source of his pain. Ice. Ice and snow that swallowed up their mother's life and almost his baby brother's. They had almost lost Alan, and Sophie's family had almost lost Christian. Not to mention all the other victims each year lost in avalanches. Gordon hated it. He hated the hypocritical water. It soothed him each day he swam, it helped him relax and think but also to forget his pain. But then it would transform into the very source of his pain by just a change in temperature.

He dove in and injured the blue element, denting its surface as he passed through the veil of dry to wet. He began to swim, hard and fast, punching the water as his hands balled into fists and he didn't come up for air until the twofaced blue monster was slain.

All of a sudden, he was yanked from the water by something on his naked shoulder. He took a deep breath as his lungs greeted the air and spun around to see Scott standing beside him in the pool with a serious look on his face.

"Are you trying to wear yourself out!?"

"No. Listen, Scott I-"

"Because I don't think that's going to help anyone Gordon." Scott jumped up onto the side and the redhead followed suit. The eldest Tracy brother threw a towel at his sibling and perched on the edge of one of the pool chairs. "Talk to me Gordon."

Gordon looked up from drying himself and sighed. He walked over to the chair that Scott perched on and sat down. "I could have died today."

"But you didn't. I wouldn't let you."

" I disobeyed your orders and it almost cost me my life. If you hadn't grabbed me when you did then I…" he trailed off.

"But if you _had_ listened then Christian would have never been rescued."

"I should have checked the other rooms before leaving."

"What? With an eight year old crying girl in your arms?" Scott seemed to have all the answers but what his brother said next got him.

"She was the same age I was. She was eight."

Scott slung his arm around Gordon's shoulder and sighed. "Listen bro, we can't save everyone, but today we did. Thanks to you. I'm glad you didn't listen to me in there otherwise Sophie's family would be as broken as ours was. You and you alone saved their family where we couldn't save our own. What more could you have done?"

"They went through exactly what we did."

"Except they didn't lose anyone."

"They almost lost Christian just like we almost did Alan."

"Gordon!" Scott raised his voice to get to his brother, "You couldn't have stopped that. People die each year due to avalanches but you prevented that today. The avalanche had already struck before we arrived and the children were already stuck. _You_ saved them. Yes, it was a horrid experience for the family but you stopped it from being worse, they _almost_ lost somebody close to them just like we did but the key thing here is that they didn't and they can recover as a whole family." Scott looked down on his brother who seemed to be taking it in. "If we can go through something like that _and_ lose somebody then I am certain that they will be fine Gordon." The younger brother nodded and mumbled a "thanks".

"Now you wanna tell me what you've got against the pool?" Scott's voice became lighter and he raised his eyebrows. Gordon looked up, confused. "you were punching water Gordo!"

"oh! That! It's fine now, nothing to worry about. I can't control nature, but I can enjoy the good states it gives me." Gordon smiled as he resolved his conflict with the element. "Now _you_ wanna tell be what you're doing out this late?" he mimicked his brother's voice.

"I was out running. On the beach… Probably a bit too fast to be honest."

"So you were thinking too huh?"

"It was an avalanche Gordon, it got to all of us." Scott gave a grim smile and stood up, guiding Gordon up as well with the arm still over his shoulder. "Now come on, I am in serious need of a drink after that run and _you_ my brother need some sleep." They walked up the steps and through the villa to the kitchen, as they entered the room they heard voices and saw two of their brothers sitting up on the counters talking. Virgil looked to be covered in paint and washing his hands vigorously whilst John sat beside him, his telescope laid on the kitchen table. Scott coughed to reveal his and Gordon's presence in the room and both John and Virgil looked up. They expected him to order them to bed, they expected him to ask what they were doing up so late but Scott gave the scene a once over and smiled. "I need a drink first. _Then_ we can sleep."

Gordon laughed and jumped up onto the side next to John, Virgil turned off the tap and brought a chair out from under the table to sit on whilst Scott made himself a drink. "Where's Alan?" Gordon asked.

"Dad caught him trying to sneak out for a run and told him to go to bed." John replied

"Amateur. He needs to learn to wait until at least midnight before you sneak past dad!"

"And you would know, wouldn't you Gordon?" Virgil laughed

"Excuse me Virg? What time did you get your paint set out tonight?" the redhead responded. When the artist refused to answer they all laughed.

Gordon realised that there may be tough rescues where their lives are at stake and there would almost certainly be more avalanche experiences, but he had his family and his pool to keep him sane. His very own coping mechanism was also his enemy; it was complicated. But he wouldn't have it any other way.

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**Reviews are loved xx ~ SimplyBel**


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